Ukraine gets third election in three years

Ukraine’s President Viktor Yushchenko has dissolved parliament and called early parliamentary elections. The move follows his failure to form a new government after the ruling ‘orange’ coalition fell apart last month.

The coalition comprised the president’s Our Ukraine party and the Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko’s bloc. Policy differences on relations with Russia were mainly to blame for its collapse.

No date has been set for the election, but the law stipulates it must be held within two months. It will be the third time Ukrainians have gone to the polls in three years.